Car idling too high

blueoval · 05-10-2009, 04:37 PM

Late last night after a long blast thru the hills, Im pushing the car pretty hard. Its cold outside I want to make the most of the cold weather. I noticed my car is idling WAY too high. I realise Im having to stomp on the brakes harder than usual. Kind of disconcerting.

I pull over and put the car into neutral, and tacho shoots up to 3000rpm and sits there, revving. I turn off the key, and let it sit for a little while and start up the car again. This time its revving to 1500rpm in park. What the...?

I take it easy getting home, park it in my driveway all the while the car is idling higher than normal, turn the car off, then turn the car on, and its still revving over 1200rpm, but this time I notice my temperature gauge not working, so I popped the bonnet, then all of a sudden...., the temp gauge works and the revs die down back to normal. Im sitting there scratching my head.

I grab the flash tuner and proceed to 'reflash' the ecu in an attempt to wipe the memory clean. I start the car up, and its improved, but still idles high. I leave it till the morning wondering what on earth started this up.

This morning, I decide to check the car by starting it up and seeing if there is any difference, seemed to idle ok. So I take the car for a drive. The high revving returns, but only to about 900-1000rpm in drive, and over 1200rpm in neutral.

I dont know what this is, could I have a faulty temperature sender in the header tank to my radiator? Is the TPS up the duff? Has anyone had this issue before?

brad` · 05-10-2009, 04:53 PM

is the accelerator cable sticking at all? could explain it.
not to sure about the temp guage issue tho, id say it could have got stuck due to giving it a bit, bit of a mystry tho haha

brad`

WiggyMK2 · 05-10-2009, 05:21 PM

my money is on a vaccum line leaking

blueoval · 05-10-2009, 05:27 PM

I checked the vacuum line to the BOV. There is a tear in the 'T' piece connecting the vacuum line. I taped it up, and took the car for a quick run around the block. STILL no good.

I did notice however, that when I popped the bonnet, the idle went back to normal, which means that there is a line or some kind getting pinched or crushed when the bonnet gets closed.

Only after the car is accelerating under load does the high idle come in. Then ONLY when the bonnet is popped does the idle resume to normal revs.

blueoval · 05-10-2009, 07:34 PM

Ok, the problem I think is solved.

brad' was on the money. It seemed that whenever the bonnet was closed, the intake pipe was pushing down on the accelerator cable on top of the rocker cover, restricting the release of the accelerator while being pressed. Hence, the high revs.

I went to the shed, cut up an old ignition cable end that holds onto the spark plug, then wedged it in between the rocker and the intake pipe. Dodgy I know. :P But hey, it worked!!! No more sticking throttle, and the idle is back to normal. I took the car for a squirt, and a hard one at that to test it out.

But it does look dodgy. I'll leave it in there till my intercooler setup get built.

KR1STO · 05-10-2009, 07:42 PM

hahahah... good to hear its sorted shav... had ya baffled for a while hey...

blueoval · 05-10-2009, 07:56 PM

its little things like that that annoy me mate.

I just didnt want a stuck accelerator while boosting thru the hills with cliffs on one side. Too freaky for words.

Just happy its sorted.

Erich · 05-10-2009, 08:17 PM

good work

blueoval · 05-10-2009, 08:18 PM

Thanks Erich. Just glad it wasnt anything worse.

brad` · 06-10-2009, 10:39 AM

glad to see i could help.. next suggestion was simply just take the bonnet off lol

blueoval · 06-10-2009, 10:49 AM

LOL, and expose the sleeper's heart??? NEVER

:

Dave_Obsession · 06-10-2009, 10:57 AM

all's well that ends well mate........any chance of pics of your dodgy repair job???

blueoval · 06-10-2009, 11:12 AM

Im ashamed to put any pics up to tell you the truth mate. Its a real bodgy job. lol

Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do